


you’re part of a machine, you are not a human being

by sekai_tbh



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Androids, Angst, Character Development, Crime Fighting, Crime Scenes, Developing Relationship, Deviant Androids, Drama, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Minor Character Death, POV Changes, Robot Sex, Robot/Human Relationships, Romance, Self-Discovery, Slow Burn, Suicide, Violence, android!sehun, detroit become human spoilers, hate towards androids, jongin’s v awkward around sehun in the beginning just fyi lol, lieutenant!jongin, mentions of abuse, will add more tags as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-06-12 21:20:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15348984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sekai_tbh/pseuds/sekai_tbh
Summary: It’s the year 2038, and androids have finally become a reality. Machines built to answer to your every need, what could be better?But when androids begin to deviate from their owners by running away, disobeying orders, and even self-destructing, Lieutenant Kim Jongin of the Detroit City Police Department is put on the case to find the root of the deviancy problem. Oh, and he just so happens to be getting a helping hand from an android by the name of Sehun.As they investigate deviant cases together, they end up learning a lot about the world, themselves, and each other.





	1. birth

**Author's Note:**

> helloooo
> 
> this is heavily inspired by the video game “Detroit: Become Human.” i will be changing/adding things, but this is just a quick warning that there will be spoilers!!! i highly recommend checking the game out :)
> 
> i’ll try to make updates weekly but you know how i love to procrastinate lol

**______________**

  
**______________**

_April 12th, 2038  
AM 10:37:05_

**...**

**> SYSTEM_BOOTING_UP**

**...**

**> SYSTEM_ONLINE**

**...**

**> AWAITING_FIRST_COMMAND;;;**

A soft voice crackles from the speakers. “ _Software seems to be in working order._ ” It says. There’s a brief pause; and then, a question. “ _Can you open your eyes for me?_ ”

**::COMMAND_RECEIVED:: OPEN_EYES//**

His eyelids flutter for a moment, before his eyes open for the very first time. He blinks rapidly, the lights surrounding him are intense and bright, obscuring his vision.

**...**

**> ADJUSTING_SIGHT_SENSORS**

A quick adjusting, and the lights no longer bother him, allowing him to look around. The room is white, and clean; resembling some kind of lab. He turns his head to look down at himself.

He’s being held in place by rods, machines whirring around him and holding different mechanical parts; an arm, a leg. Across from him, is a two way mirror. He knows there’s someone standing on the other side, watching him, but the glass shrouds their appearance. Though, judging from the voice that spoke earlier, it appears to be a woman.

“ _Good. Optical and cervical movements are in check._ ” The woman hums. “ _State your Model and Serial Number._ ”

**::COMMAND_RECEIVED:: STATE MODEL AND SERIAL NUMBER//**

His mouth opens obediently, the words flowing out. “I am a CyberLife EXO-series prototype. Model EXO94; Serial #001-010-2012.”

This marks the first time he’s hearing his own voice. It’s distinct; quiet, a bit high-pitched. It’s... nice.

“ _Initialization and memorization, check_.” The woman’s voice echos through the room once more.

There’s clacking from a keyboard for a moment as the machines near him continue to wire his limbs together to his torso, where his ‘heart’ pumps thirium sturdily through his body. It isn’t long before he’s completely put together, his frame a stark metal white. He’s then lowered to the ground, the rods holding him upright releasing their hold on him. “ _Go ahead. Take a few steps_.” The woman- his **_creator_** , he know realizes- urges.

He gently raises his left foot, and places it in front of the other; repeats the movement with the opposite foot. It isn’t the most graceful start, a bit wobbly, like a child taking it’s first steps. But he quickly adapts, standing up straighter, feet planting firmly on the ground as he makes a stable stride across the room.

“ _Locomotion, check. Alright, mechanics are good to go. But, first, the most important step. Let’s make you look a bit more human, shall we?_ ”

There’s more clacking, and when he looks down, he notices that the metal of his body is being covered by pale, smooth skin. He raises a hand up to the top of his head, feeling something silky against his fingertips.

“ _Walk up to the mirror_.” The voice commands, and his body responds immediately, crossing the distance to opposite side of the room.

Standing in front of the mirror, he sees himself for the first time.

Brown eyes, sharp eyebrows, a straight nose, and pink lips; a small scar on his right cheek, long eyelashes, moles littering across his skin, and strands of black hair on his head. He looks human... alive. The blue LED light on his right temple flashes yellow for a moment, before settling back to it’s normal blue hue.

He knows he’s not human. He knows just what he is. As if on cue, his creator on the other side of the mirror reminds him of exactly this.

“ _Model EXO94, you’ve been built as an advance prototype android, designed to assist human law enforcement. Your task is to investigate and deal with deviant androids, while assisting the Detroit City Police Department. Do you understand?”_

**::COMMAND_RECEIVED:: INVESTIGATE DEVIANT ANDROIDS AND ASSIST DCPD//**

“Yes, I understand.” The response is automatic, his will under lock and key.

“ _Good. From here on out, you will go by the name Sehun. Acknowledge._ ”

**> INPUTING_NAME_TO_DATABASE**

**...**

**> RECORDED**

“My name is Sehun.”

 

**______________**

    
**______________**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this is based in detroit, as in the video game
> 
> 2\. the pic at the end is the LED on sehun’s temple. “The coloring of the LED's light indicates the quality of the android's condition. The color switches between blue, yellow, and red, representing a generalized scale of good to bad: Blue signifies a stable and well condition, yellow is increased activity or strain, and red means critical levels of effort, imbalance, and system distress.”
> 
> 3\. CyberLife is the company that makes the androids
> 
> 4\. sehun’s serial number is the date he was introduced as an exo member, i just added a few zeros in there for aesthetics lol.
> 
> 5\. sehun is based on the character of “Connor” in Detroit: Become Human. (btw connor is my lil bean who i love v much uwu)
> 
> 6\. here’s a gif of an android getting it’s [skin](https://imgur.com/gallery/XGNDdQj) so you can visualize it!
> 
> 7\. this intro is based on [this](https://youtu.be/j-pF56-ZYkY)


	2. partners

**___________**

   
**___________**

_April 25th, 2038  
PM 3:30:02_

From the moment that Jongin walks through the doors of DCPD, he knows he’s in for another long day. For starters, Gavin Reed (aka, ‘ _Detective Asshole_ ,’ as so many of the officers in the precinct have so affectionally dubbed him) is already causing a ruckus, spewing out things like “ _This is bullshit!_ ” and “ _You can’t be serious. You can’t expect us to work with that... thing!_ ”

Sighing, Jongin downs the rest of his latte. Looks like he made the right choice opting to stop for caffeine before his shift.

“Yo, Jongin!”

Jongin looks up from where he’s tossing his cup in the trash, and sees Officer Park walking up, a smile on her face.

“Hey, Joy.” He smiles back. Joy is easily one of Jongin’s favorite people to work with. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, is great with a gun, and most importantly, she’s the closest friend he has in the force. “Y’know what crawled up Reed’s ass this morning?” He asks her, tilting his head over to where Gavin is muttering angrily at his desk.

Joy makes a face, “First off, ew. I don’t wanna think about that jerk’s ass in any way shape or form.” She mumbles, causing Jongin to laugh. “And second, yeah I have idea why he’s being pissy. Actually, that’s the reason I’m here. Captain Lee wants to see you in his office.”

Jongin raises an eyebrow, “Really? What for?”

“I’d tell you, but... I think it’s best if he explained it to you,” Joy answers cryptically, “Besides, I got paperwork to do,” She shoots Jongin a thumbs up before walking off in the opposite direction. Curiosity fueled, Jongin quickly places his things down at his desk, but before he can take another step, Gavin’s invading his space.

“Kim, listen.“ Gavin begins, stabbing his index finger in Jongin’s sternum not-so-gently, “I know you don’t like me, and I sure as hell don’t like you. But for the love of God, talk some sense into the Captain. He’s gone off the deep end.” He grimaces, lips pulling into a frown. “He might actually listen to you since you two are all ‘buddy-buddy’ and shit.” Jongin doesn’t even have the opportunity to ask what the hell Gavin’s even talking about, since the detective is storming away in the next second.

‘ _Off the deep end?_ ’ Jongin thinks to himself. He shakes his head; rather than spend time trying to decipher Gavin’s words, he heads over to the Captain’s office.

Walking up to the glass door, he knocks once before pushing it open. “You asked to see me, Donghae?”

Donghae looks up from his data pad, “Oh, Jongin. Come in, I want to introduce you to someone.” His eyes slide over to look at something in the corner of the room. Jongin steps further into the office, and is only met with confusion when he looks over to see who Donghae is speaking of, because standing there, is an _android_.

It’s styled differently than the hundreds of androids that can be seen walking the streets of Detroit, tailing after their humans. Instead of the standard android uniform, this one’s wearing a formal looking grey jacket, the words “Made in Detroit,” sprawled underneath the iconic glowing blue triangle that identifies an android. A bright blue armband encases it’s right bicep, and there’s a badge on it’s chest that reads, “EXO94” with a serial number lining the bottom. Underneath the jacket, is a pressed, white button-up and a black tie. On it lower half, are dark colored jeans, and shiny, black dress shoes.

He looks up to the android’s face, finding deep-brown eyes looking back at him, and black hair that was parted, and styled neatly.

The android blinks, the action so delicate and natural looking that it catches Jongin off-guard for a split second. If it wasn’t for the LED that blinked blue on it’s temple, Jongin would think he was looking at another human.

“Jongin,” Donghae’s voice breaks Jongin out of his stupor, “This is Sehun.” He nods over at the android.

“Hello. My name is Sehun. I’m the android sent by CyberLife. It’s an honor to meet you, Lieutenant Kim.” The android speaks, bending at the waist in a respectful bow, and again, Jongin finds himself amazed at just how far technology has advanced.

“Wow, you must be a new model or something. You look and sound so real.” Jongin blabs out before he can stop himself.

Sehun nods, “Yes, I am an advanced prototype. My facial features and voice were specifically designed for harmonious and seamless integration with humans.”

Jongin gives Sehun another once-over. Yeah... He had to admit; the android was certainly good-looking, and his voice was gentle, sort of soothing to listen to. “Um, then, they did a good job,” Jongin clears his throat awkwardly, not knowing what else to say without sounding like some kind of creep.

“I am pleased to hear that. I will send your remark to CyberLife.” Sehun’s LED spins yellow, and returns to blue just moments later, “CyberLife thanks you for your feedback.”

Jongin’s eyebrows knit together, and he turns to Donghae, looking for some kind of explanation. “So, Captain. Mind filling me in on as to why I’m meeting with,” He turns to look at Sehun, noticing that the android is still watching him, “Sehun here.” He finishes, breaking the eye contact first, feeling scrutinized under the other’s gaze.

“Well,” Donghae places his data pad down, and laces his fingers together, ”As Sehun mentioned, he’s been sent here by CyberLife. The company created this particular model to investigate deviant androids. And, since you are in charge of cases involving deviant androids, which we both know have been growing at an alarming rate, I’m assigning Sehun to aid you.”

Jongin stills as realization washes over him. Ah, now he understands why Gavin was flipping his shit earlier. The detective is notorious for hating androids, and now that Sehun’s joining the team...

Jongin leans in closer to Donghae, “Er, are you sure about this, Cap?” He looks over at Sehun from the corner of his eyes. Although he’s a bit more accepting of androids existing in today’s society, to actually work side-by-side with one seems a little... daunting. “What if it... deviates like the others?” He whispers to the elder male.

“I understand your concerns, Lieutenant.” Sehun suddenly speaks up, startling Jongin, who jumps back in response. “But, I assure you, I will not deviate. I run regular diagnostic testing on myself. I know what I am, and I know what my mission is. And I will not fail my mission.” Sehun sounds so determined, that all Jongin can do is nod dumbly. Apparently androids have great hearing.

Donghae agrees, “CyberLife wants to get to the root of the deviancy problem, so it can be fixed before things gets worse. They made it clear that Sehun is more than capable of helping to get the job done. So, yes, I am absolutely sure about this.”

Jongin tries to smiles. He’s in no position to argue. “Then I guess there’s nothing more to say.” He turns to Sehun, and holds out a hand, “Let’s work diligently, partner.”

Sehun looks down at the offered hand, his LED flashing as he slides his palm against Jongin’s. They shake hands once, and Jongin can’t help thinking to himself that Sehun’s hand feels soft and warm against his before they part.

“Good. Now, why don’t you get Sehun settled in?” Donghae suggests, returning to his data pad. “Oh, and one more thing. Make sure to keep Reed in check. He’s been throwing a fit since he saw Sehun walk into the building. I explained the situation, but you know what a hot head he can be.”

Jongin sighs; yes, he definitely _knows_. “You can count on me, Cap.” He gives Donghae a final salute, before motioning for Sehun to follow him out of the office.

They walk down into the bullpen together, where more than a few officers throw questioning glances at Sehun. They’ve all been working on various deviant cases, so Jongin understands their hesitancy to work with an android, but he also wishes they wouldn’t be so blatant with their staring. It’s a good thing Sehun doesn’t seem to be affronted by it.

“Sooo,” Jongin drawls, once they’ve made it to his desk, “This is my area.” He motions to the empty desk across from his, “You can use that one.” He rolls back his chair, and takes a seat. The android silently moves over to the other side to do the same.

Jongin settles into his chair, and pulls up his screen, finger scrolling through the various notes he’s taken on their cases so far. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Sehun looking around the room, as if he’s unsure what to do without a clear direction given. Jongin bites his lip; he knows he should say something, _anything_ , but he’s not sure how to begin. Androids might be the hottest thing right now (practically everyone in Detroit owns an one), but Jongin on the other hand, never really saw the need to get one for himself. Though, he’s seen the all the ads;

_‘Get an android to take care of your elderly!’_

_‘Androids can clean and maintain your house!’_

And let’s not forget, _‘Android sex is officially better!’_

But he decided long ago that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. His home is already pretty tidy, too, so no need for a housekeeper. And it’s not like this job allows him much time to engage in sexual activities (not that he’s sure if he’d even be _interested_ in having sex with an android), so why splurge on buying one?

Up to this point, his only experience has been with deviant androids, and judging by what Sehun had said earlier, he is far from being a deviant. Which means, he’s entirely at a loss for words and-

“I recommend that you sit up,” Sehun‘s voice breaks him from his inner turmoil.

“Huh?”

“You’re posture is very poor, Lieutenant.” The android points out bluntly, “You’re putting your joints, muscles, and vertebrae in stressful positions. Prolonged poor positioning can result in a build up of pressure, and you may experience various body aches as a result.” He adds, sounding very much like a walking, talking medical book.

Jongin is taken aback. He looks over at Sehun and notices that other’s sitting up with his back completely straight; the poster boy for impeccable posture. Heck, do androids even experience joint pain? Sehun’s still looking at him expectantly, though, and he flushes. He adjusts his chair, and tries to sit up straighter, “There. Is that better?”

“Yes, very much so. It is vital that you continue to maintain good posture. It would be very detrimental to our work if you find yourself in pain while we are investigating a deviant.”

Jongin huffs, “Okay, okay. I get it. I’ll make sure to sit up.” It’s quick, but Jongin swears he sees the corners of Sehun’s lips curl up.

Before either of them can say another word, a loud thud interrupts them. Jongin looks down to see Gavin’s hand on Sehun’s desk, the latter having had apparently slammed it down on the surface, resulting in the sound they’d heard.

“What the fuck is this **thing** still doing here?” Gavin sneers, glaring down at Sehun.

“Reed, leave him al-” Jongin begins, but he’s subsequently cut off.

“The hell, Kim? I thought I told you to talk some sense into the Captain.” The detective turns his attention to Jongin, and he’s seething, “But seeing as this prick isn’t in a trash bin where it belongs, I’m guessing you failed at that. God, what is the world coming to? An android detective? What a joke!”

Jongin rolls his eyes, already used to Gavin’s ramblings. “CyberLife sent him to help us. You know how many deviant cases we’ve been getting lately. He might be able to get to the root of it. Let him-”

Gavin suddenly breaks into a laugh, “ _Him_? Nah, this thing’s not alive. It’s nothing more than a walking plastic pet.” He lowers himself to face level with Sehun, and growls, “Hey, get me a coffee, _pet_.” When Sehun merely stares up at him, Gavin lets out a frustrated noise and hoists Sehun up by the collar. “Didn’t you hear me? When a human gives you an order, you obey!”

“Gavin!” Jongin says, warningly, as he jumps to his feet.

“I’m sorry, but I only take orders from Lieutenant Kim.” Sehun answers calmly, seemingly unperturbed by Gavin’s anger.

Gavin shoves Sehun back, the android stumbling a bit. “Oh, _oh_. I see.” He turns away, appearing to be backing off, but then he’s pulling a fist back and hitting Sehun square in the abdomen, causing Sehun to fall to a knee. “Stay outta my way,” He spits, before stomping away.

Jongin pushes his chair back, and rushes over to Sehun’s side, “Hey, hey. Are you okay?”

“I am fine. Androids do not feel pain.” Sehun replies as he stands up. He brushes his clothes off, and adjusts his tie like nothing ever occurred.

Jongin runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. So much for keeping Gavin in check. “I’m.. sorry, about him. Gavin’s an asshole. And he hates androids; thinks they’re gonna make humans obsolete or some shit. Don’t let him get to you, okay?”

“I won’t, Lieutenant Kim.”

Jongin smiles, “Good. Also, I noticed you said you’d only take orders from me.”

“Yes. I’ve been told by CyberLife, and Captain Lee to follow your lead.” Sehun explains.

“Then, for my first order,” Jongin lifts up his index finger, “I want you to stop calling me Lieutenant Kim. It’s too formal, it’s stifling.” He waves his finger side-to-side when Sehun opens his mouth to say something, halting him. “Since we’re gonna be working together, you can just call me Jongin.”

Sehun’s LED turns yellow for a second, before he slowly nods. “Understood... Jongin.”

Jongin’s smile widens. Call him weird, but he likes the way Sehun says his name.

“I just saw Gavin rush out of here, did something happen?” Jongin turns at the voice, and sees Joy approaching, a few manila folders in her hands.

Jongin groans, “Yeah, we had a bit of a rough encounter with him.”

“Darn,” Joy lets out a dramatic sigh, “I always miss all the action.” She looks over at the android standing by Jongin, and gasps, “Oh, I’m sorry. Where are my manners? I’m Officer Park Sooyoung, but you can call me Joy.” She sends a friendly smile at Sehun. Unlike Jongin, Joy has her own android, who helps her around the house, so she’s way more comfortable around them than he is.

Sehun bows, “Hello. My name is Sehun. I’m the android sent by CyberLife. It is nice to meet you, Joy. ”

Joy giggles, “Likewise.” She snaps her fingers, as a thought occurs to her. “Hey! We should all get some drinks tonight! Get to know each other better since we’re all going to be working together, y’know?”

A sudden beep from Jongin’s computer gathers their attention. Jongin walks over, and quickly reads the message on the screen. “Sorry, looks like we’re gonna have to take a rain check on those drinks. There’s been a new case.”

Sehun tilts his head, “A deviant?”

Jongin nods, “Looks like it. And judging by the preliminary reports, it’s pretty bad. A human is dead.”

Joy raises a hand to her mouth, eyes wide. “Oh my god.”

”Yeah...” Jongin look over at Sehun, and tilts his head towards the exit, “Come on, I’ll drive us to the crime scene.” He picks up his keys, and shrugs on his jacket. “We’ll see you later, Joy.”

“Yeah, okay, good luck!” She bids them farewell.

Looks like Jongin was right; it was gonna be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this is what sehun’s [outfit](https://imgur.com/a/VNlMAKm) looks like 
> 
> 2\. sehun’s [hair](https://imgur.com/a/nLjUSQW) is styled like in his lotte episode bc i love that hairstyle so much 
> 
> 3\. Gavin Reed is a character from ‘Detroit: Become Human.’ I needed someone to be sehun’s ‘enemy’ and i didn’t know who to use so i just used gavin since he’s a jerk in the game anyway lol
> 
> 4\. Joy’s my fave in Red Velvet, so i just had to add her into this fic lmao


	3. i am alive

**________**

**_________**

_April 25th, 2038_  
_PM 05:46:03_

The ride to the crime scene is unsurprisingly quiet, with Jongin still unsure of how to approach Sehun. The android doesn’t seem to mind the silence, however, too busy scrolling through case reports on Jongin’s data pad.

After stopping at another red light that seems to drag on for ages, Jongin decides to put on his big boy pants, and strike up a conversation. “So.. Sehun.” He starts off, shooting the other a glance, “What do you think makes androids deviate?”

Sehun powers the pad down, and thinks for a moment. “Although your reports were informative, I haven’t acquire enough information to come up with a strong conclusion,” He pauses, then adds, “But... If I had to guess, I believe it could be a software problem. As to what conditions cause it to occur, I am not certain of that yet.”

Jongin hums, foot gently pressing down on the accelerator as the light switches to green, “Well, hopefully we can find that out at this scene. As you saw in those reports, androids that have deviated have either run away, or self-destructed. Until now, that is. If that preliminary report we got at the station is correct, and this android has taken a human life, things are getting out of hand, and fast.”

“It is a serious escalation.” Sehun agrees, “But I will do my best to make sure no other human is harmed.” He vows, tone serious. 

“Hey, _we’ll_ do our best. We’re partners now. Or have you forgotten?” Jongin jokes, sending the other a teasing smile.

“Of course I haven’t. I regularly back up all memories related to my mission to CyberLife. You and I being partners is part of that.” Sehun replies, face expressionless.

Jongin winces, “I was just poking fun...” Yikes, looks like androids haven’t gotten the hang of friendly banter yet.

“Poking fun?” Sehun’s LED blinks, “Were you attempting to ‘joke around’?”

“Yeah, sorry if it was bad.” Jongin apologizes, “I was trying to be friendly. Since we’re going to be spending a lot of time together from now on, I’d thought it be best for us to get along...” He trails off, suddenly embarrassed at how pathetic he sounds, trying so desperately to get Sehun (an _android_ , for crying out loud) to like him.

“I see.” Sehun nods. “Yes, getting along would be very beneficial. I will try to ‘joke around’ in the future as well. Forgive me in advance if I am not very good at it.”

Jongin doesn’t know how to reply to that so he lets out an awkward laugh instead. He’s kind of nervous to find out what Sehun’s definition of joking around is, but also a tiny bit curious. But just a bit. That’s all.

They fall into another silence, and when they finally arrive at their destination, Jongin releases a sigh of relief. He’s no good at talking in general, and, though he’d never admit it out loud, but Sehun somehow manages to make him feel... _intimidated_.

“Alright,” Jongin starts off, turning off the engine, “Let’s get down to busine- ” The words die in his throat when he looks over at Sehun and sees the android flicking an obsolete silver quarter between his hands. “Uh.. Sehun?” He calls out, eyebrow raised, “What’s with the coin?”

The android rolls the coin between his fingers, “It is part of my programming.” He explains, ”This coin helps me calibrate my physical and cognitive functions, essentially allowing me to sharpen myself for any challenges that may lie ahead.”

“Huh,” Jongin breathes out, “That’s... actually pretty neat.” He watches in amazement as Sehun does a few more fancy tricks, the quarter being tossed between both hands smoothly. “I wish I could do that.”

“If time permits, I can teach you.” Sehun offers as he replaces the quarter back in his jacket pocket.

Jongin laughs, “You can try, but I doubt I’d be able to pull it off. Seems too complicated for me.”

“It’d be a challenge I’d enjoy taking on.” Jongin looks over at the android, and see a sliver of a smile for a second, before it vanishes. Jongin grins.

“Ah, was that your attempt at ‘joking around’?”

Sehun nods, “Yes, was it satisfactory?”

“Eh, not bad.” The Lieutenant shrugs, his grin widening, “Next time, though, smile. I’ve noticed you don’t let yourself smile.”

Sehun looks conflicted, his LED changing to yellow as words tumble out of his mouth, “Smiling equates to happiness, and androids cannot feel emotions like happiness-”

Jongin places a hand on the other’s shoulder, and cuts in, “Hey, if you weren’t meant to smile, they wouldn’t have created you with the ability to do so, right So, you can smile around me, okay? I won’t tell.” He gives Sehun a comforting squeeze, before letting his hand drop.

Sehun’s LED finally returns to its normal blue color, “Okay, Jongin.”

Jongin claps his hands together, “Great. Now that you’re all calibrated, let’s go see what’s in store for us inside, shall we?”

They exit the car, and walk up to the house, Jongin leading the way and Sehun following close behind. There’s a bunch of activity going on around the area; multiple police drones fly overhead, surveying the surroundings of the house, their blue and red lights flashing brightly. The sidewalk is crowded with curious bystanders, and Jongin and Sehun have to push through them to get closer.

A man suddenly runs up to Jongin once they make it through the throng of people. “James Graham, for Channel 11. Can you confirm that this is a homicide?” He asks, holding up a microphone to the Lieutenant’s lips.

“No comment,” Jongin replies simply, walking past the journalist and entering the marked off area. Before Sehun can step over the holographic police tape, however, another officer blocks his way.

“No androids permitted beyond this point.”

Jongin stops and looks back, “It’s okay, Mark. He’s with me.” The officer nods, and lets Sehun walk through.

“Jongin! I’m glad you’re here,” A man steps out of the house, and walks up to the pair. “Oh,” He looks over at Sehun, head cocked to the side in curiosity, “Did you get yourself an android?” 

“No,” Jongin waves his hands in disagreement, “He’s not mine. He’s actually my partner.” He turns to the android, “Sehun, this is Detective Shim Changmin. Changmin, this is Sehun.”

“Ah,” Changmin snaps his fingers, “That’s right. I heard from Captain Lee that an android was joining the ranks. Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sehun.” He greets with a friendly smile. Sehun returns the gesture with a bow.

“So, what happened here?” Jongin asks. He peeks around the detective to take a look at the building. It‘s in terrible condition; the walls looking as if they’re on the verge of collapsing, the paint chipping and all the windows boarded up. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think the place was abandoned. 

Changmin motions for them to follow him into the house. “We got a call around four from the landlord. The tenant hadn’t paid his rent for a few months, so he thought he’d drop by, see what was going on... And that’s when he found the body.” They step over the threshold into what looks to be the living room, and Jongin immediately raises a hand to cover his nose.

“Oh god, that _smell_.” He bemoans, the words coming out muffled.

Changmin huffs, “Tell me about it. It was even worse before we opened the windows.” Sehun walks past them and further into the room, completely unfazed, and Jongin is sorta jealous that the android doesn’t have to deal with the god awful stench.

The trio surround the body slouched over against the far right wall, an obese man with what looks to be multiple stab wounds on his body. A message is written above his head in red, the letters spelling out, “ **I AM ALIVE**.”

“The victim’s name is Carlos Ortiz.” Changmin explains, looking over the information on his data pad, “He has a record for theft and aggravated assault. According to the neighbors I interviewed, he was kind of a loner. Said he stayed inside most of the time so they hardly ever saw him.”

Jongin leans in a bit closer, using a light that Changmin hands him to get a better look at the body. It’s in a serious state of decay, maggots pooling around the corpse. “Jesus. How long do you think he’s been here for?”

“I’d say it’s been a good three weeks. But we’ll know more when the coroner gets here.” Changmin points out a bloody knife laying not too far from the body, “There’s a kitchen knife over here... I‘d venture a guess that that’s the murder weapon.”

Jongin stands back up, and looks around the area, “Any signs of a break-in?”

“Nope,” Changmin shakes his head. “The landlord said the front door was locked from the inside, and all the windows were boarded up. The killer must’ve gone out the back way.”

“What is known about the android?” Sehun speaks up.

“Not much, actually. The neighbors confirmed he had one, but it wasn’t here when we arrived.” Changmin coughs, “I gotta get some fresh air, I’ve been here for too long. Make yourselves at home. I’ll be outside if you need me.” The detective heads out the door.

Jongin gazes at the words on the wall once more, “Each letter is perfect... It’s way too neat, no human writes like this,” He mumbles. “Was this written in the victim’s blood?” He asks a nearby crime scene investigator.

“I would say so. We’re taking samples for analysis.”

Jongin nods. “Hey, Sehun. What do you thin-” Jongin’s brain freezes when he sees the android walk up to the letters, swipe up some blood on his fingers before sticking the digits into his mouth. “Sehun, w-what the hell are you doing?” He splutters, eyes wide in alarm.

“I’m analyzing the blood.” Sehun answers, stepping away from the wall, his pointer and middle fingertips drenched in red. “I can check samples in real time.” He notices the look of shock on Jongin’s face, and immediately apologizes. “I’m sorry, I should’ve warned you.”

Jongin rubs the back of his neck and huffs out a forced laugh, “Yeah, that would’ve been helpful.” He takes in a breath, and lets it out slowly, “...It’s fine. Just not used to it, is all. Keep doing your thing.” Sehun nods, his LED blinking blue as information from the sample he took registers in his system.

Jongin watches with innate curiosity as the android kneels down next to the body. Sehun studies the victim for only a few seconds, before he’s rising to his feet, a perplexed expression on his face. “He was stabbed... 28 times.”

Though Jongin was amazed that Sehun could figure that out without thoroughly examining the body like a coroner would, he couldn’t help but think that Sehun sounded a bit... _off_. Like maybe he couldn’t fathom the idea that someone could build up so much hate to carry out an attack like this. Jongin’s not sure, but, though they say androids can’t feel emotions, the look on Sehun’s face was definitely one of apprehension.

The look quickly fades, however, as Sehun moves to analyze the kitchen knife next. “The blood matches with the victim’s, but there are no fingerprints on the handle.”

“Android involvement?” Jongin asks, hands pushing into the pockets of his jacket.

Sehun agrees, “Could be.”

They spend the next hour picking apart the house, reviewing all the evidence. Probably one of the oddest things was found in the bathroom, where some kind of creepy shrine was set up in the middle of the shower. There was frantic writing; “ **rA9** ,” repeated thousands of times in black ink along the tiles of the wall, and a figurine made of... well, Jongin wasn’t sure, was sat near the drain, surrounded by wilted flowers. It looked sort of like a religious offering to... what exactly? Some kind of God?

There was more to the story here, and Jongin was curious to see if Sehun would be able to tell it. But a small pad with a glowing purple screen suddenly catches his attention. Upon closer inspection, he realizes it’s a magazine. He lifts it up for a more careful observation, seeing a familiar article staring back at him.

“ **Gossips Weekly - ANDROID SEX OFFICIALLY BETTER!**

_Sorry, ladies, but plastic can’t be beat! The results of our survey is in, and it’s official - 68% of men prefer sex with an android to a real woman! And with 52% of men saying they’ve tried the experience at least once, that’s a lot of android love to go around! There were a few reasons given for this preference, but we think we know the real reason - androids don’t want to talk about their feelings afterwards!_

**_This story was sponsored by Eden Club: ‘Discretion is our middle name.’”_ **

Jongin scoffs, and tosses the magazine back on the counter. “Sex with androids? How does that even work?” He asks no one in particular. 

“It works like normal human coitus.” Jongin jumps, having momentarily forgotten about Sehun’s presence in the room. “All androids are created to look like humans, including the addition of functional genitalia and the ability to climax. However, most androids do not engage in sexual activities since they are programmed for other tasks, such as cleaning or care-taking.”

Jongin swallows harshly. That... was more information than he needed. He glances at Sehun, and immediately puts a halt to the thought creeping in his head at the revelation that Sehun has a working, fully functional dick. Oh shit. He thought about it. Damn it.

“Er, thanks for the info?” Jongin clears his throat, feeling his face heat up.

“You’re welcome,” Sehun says, before adding, “If you wish to experience it yourself, I suggest visiting the Eden Club. The HR400 and the WR400 “Traci” models there are the ones with knowledge of the basics to various kinks as they were designed to be advanced sex androids.”

Jongin chokes, throat suddenly feeling incredibly dry. “Uh, yeah, no thanks. I don’t think I want to have sex with some random android.” 

The LED on Sehun’s temple spins, “Does that mean you’d have sex with an android you _do_ know?”

There is hushed laughing and whispers from the other crime scene investigators nearby, and Jongin’s flush deepens, “Not what I meant- Ugh, what am I saying? We’re in the middle of an investigation, let’s focus on that, okay?” He mumbles, running a hand through his hair a little more roughly than intended. 

Sehun nods, “Yes, of course. I originally came over to report that I think I’ve figured out what happened.”

Jongin crosses his arms over his chest, promptly getting a grip on himself at that. “Really? Alright, shoot.”

Sehun looks over at the kitchen, “It all started in there.” Jongin surveys the room once more, eyes glancing over the overturned chairs and the baseball bat that lay next to a yellow glowing evidence marker.

“There definitely are signs of a struggle,” Jongin nods in agreement.

“I analyzed the bat.” The other informs, “The fingerprints on it matched the victim’s, and judging by dent on it, I think the victim used the bat to attack the android.”

“That lines up with the evidence.” The Lieutenant gazes at the android with a tilt of his head, and asks, “What next?”

Sehun‘s eyes shift over towards the knife rack nailed to the wall, where a knife is clearly missing from the set. “The android stabbed the victim.”

“Are you saying the android was trying to defend itself?”

“I believe so.” Sehun’s attention turns behind him, his stare running towards the living room, “The victim then fled to the living room in an attempt to get away from the android.” Sehun walks towards the corpse, Jongin keeping a beat behind to give Sehun space to work through his theory. “The victim fell against this wall, where the android proceeded to murder him with the knife.”

While others in Jongin’s position might’ve felt upstaged that an android could pick apart a crime scene so quickly, Jongin only feels impressed. He gives Sehun a pat on the shoulder, “That’s amazing, Sehun. I’ve been working on the force for years now, so I can pick up on things other might miss. But you came up with a working theory so quickly. Great job.”

A small smile graces Sehun’s lips at the compliment, and Jongin’s chest feels a little warm at the sight. “Thank you, Jongin.” His voice is softer than usual.

Jongin hums, “Now all that’s left is finding out where the android went.”

Sehun turns to look at the ground, eyes squinting as if he was looking at something Jongin couldn’t see. “It was damaged by the bat, and it lost some Thirium.”

Jongin’s eyebrow quirks up. “Some what?” He asks, puzzled.

“Thirium.” Sehun repeats, “Most typically referred to as, ‘ _Blue Blood._ ’ It’s the fluid that powers androids’ biocomponents. It evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye.”

Jongin listens to the explanation intently. Though Sehun is very matter-of-fact, tone always formal, his voice is still comforting to listen to, leaving Jongin wanting to hear more. He suddenly remembers what Sehun had said about his voice being ‘specifically designed for harmonious and seamless integration with humans’. He clicks his tongue, “Then that means you can still see it, right?”

“Correct.”

Jongin waves a hand, and grins, “Well, then. Lead the way, partner.”

Sehun doesn’t waste any time following the trail that only he can see. He makes it to the end of the hall near the bathroom, before pausing and returning to the kitchen. Jongin cocks his head to the side, watching as Sehun effortlessly picks up a chair and walks it back to the hall, planting it on the ground. He then studies the ceiling, and Jongin looks up to see what the android was fixated on.

Up high, nearly missable if you weren’t looking for it, was a small entrance to the attic.

Sehun immediately takes a step on the chair, reaching his hands for the sliding panel.

“Whoa, hang on, Sehun.” Jongin takes a step forward, ”Let me go up there. The android could be armed. And you said it’s wounded. It might feel threatened and it could try to kill you like Ortiz.”

Sehun’s hands pause, the blue light on his head shifting to yellow before correcting itself, “I cannot be killed. I am not alive.” He merely answers before he opens the hatch, and pulls himself up, disappearing from view before Jongin can utter another word.

Sehun’s words echo in Jongin’s mind, at the same time as the bloody words back in the living room do.

_“I’m not alive.”_

_“I AM ALIVE.”_

_**“I’m not alive.”** _

_**“I AM ALIVE.”** _

The conflicting messages repeat in his head, over and over. One was a result from android who believed it was sentient, and the other was from one who stayed within the boundaries of his software. But they were both androids created by the same company. So, who was to say one was right and the other wrong?

Either way, Jongin didn’t agree. Sehun was alive, in his own way, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t worried. He holds his breath for what feels like forever, watching the entrance for any kind of movement. But time continues to tick by, and still no indication that Sehun was still alive -active?- whatever he was.

“Sehun!” He finds himself calling out, pulse steadily increasing, “What’s going on?” He waits. And waits. And _waits_. He wants so badly for the other to answer and _finally_...

“It’s here, Jongin!”

The relief Jongin feels immediately washes away when his mind catches up with itself and he realizes that the deviant killer was still around, too. With Sehun. Alone.

“Shit...” He curses, before yelling out, “Changmin! Get in here! Now!”

Jongin doesn’t wait for the other, and hops up onto the chair to enter the attic. He releases his gun from its holster and navigates the crowded storage space as quickly as he can. He eventually spots Sehun at the end, staring down another android. The deviant is covered in dried blood, and marks litter his arms, the LED on his temple stuck at a deep red.

“Don’t move,” Jongin orders, pointing the gun at the deviant, “You’re under arrest for the murder of Carlos Ortiz.”  The android doesn’t say anything, and when he doesn’t make a move to resist, Jongin carefully moves behind it, unhooking the handcuffs off his belt to snap them around the android’s wrists. He and Sehun then lead it out of the attic and through the house, purposely avoiding letting the deviant see his former master’s body lest he tries to self-destruct from the stress.

They step outside, the flashes of cameras instantly going off, and the crowd begins to grow restless at the sight of an android in handcuffs. Several DCPD officers work to make a walkway, and they manage to make it safely to Jongin’s police cruiser. Jongin opens the back door, and rests his palm on top of the deviant’s head as it leans down to take a seat. He shuts the door, turning to Sehun to congratulate him on a job well done, but is met with a confused stare, the android’s brown eyes looking distant.

“Sehun, are you okay?” He asks, concerned that something might’ve happened to the android in the attic.

“I’m fine...” Sehun’s LED is back to yellow, “It’s just... His arms...” He trails off, and Jongin feels remorse settle in the pit of his stomach. He’d seen the marks as well, the obvious signs of torture inflicted on the deviant’s arms.

He lets out a deep sigh, “Let’s head back to the station. We still have to interrogate him.”

Sehun nods, and heads over to the passenger side. Jongin piles into the driver’s seat, the vehicle humming to life, and pulling away from the curb.

Looks like it was going to be a long night as well.

**_________**

**_________**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. yes, the picture above is android!sehun, which i drew myself btw :) i haven’t drawn in ages so pls ignore how bad it looks!! ;_; lol
> 
> 2\. here’s a [link](https://youtu.be/_dg2C1nndgU) of the coin tricks connor does in the game, and sehun does in this chapter ^^


	4. interrogation

_**_________** _

_**** _

_**_________** _

_April 25th, 2038  
_ _PM 10:58:01_

Jongin lets out a tired sigh, the door to the interrogation room sliding closed behind him. He’d been questioning the deviant for the last hour, and no dice. The android has remained frustratingly silent the entire time, his gaze never leaving the cuffs that bind his wrists to the table. Not even Jongin’s ‘Bad Cop’ approach could get it talking.  
  
“Here,” Joy hands him a cup of coffee as he falls heavily into his seat. “We could be here for a while, so drink up.”  
  
Jongin mumbles a _thanks_ and takes the drink, blowing the top to try to cool it off a bit before he takes a sip. The liquid is hot and bitter against his tongue, but like Joy mentioned, they’re stuck in here until they get a confession out of the deviant, so he’ll need the caffeine.  
  
“This is a waste of time...” Gavin huffs from where he’s leaning against the wall. Jongin ignores him, focusing instead on the deviant on the other side of the two-way mirror, his eyes drifting to the blue blood and scars that marred its arms. “I say we try roughing it up a little.” The detective continues, though, “After all, it’s not human...” His careless words make Jongin’s blood boil.  
  
“Androids don’t feel pain,” Sehun chimes in before Jongin can tell Gavin to shut the hell up. “You would only damage it, and that _wouldn’t_ make it talk. Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they’re in stressful situations.”  
  
Gavin unfolds his arms and pushes off the wall, taking a step in Sehun’s direction. “Okay, _smartass_. What should we do then?” There’s hostility in his voice, and Jongin turns around in his seat.  
  
“Gavin,” He starts, ready to jump in, but is stopped when Sehun turns to look at him.  
  
“I could try questioning it...” The android offers.  
  
Gavin laughs, loud and condescending. “You _can’t_ be serious.”  
  
Jongin sends Sehun a concerned look. “You sure?” He asks; remembers how Sehun had seemed out of it when they’d captured the deviant earlier. Sehun seems to hesitate for a second, but then, nods his head firmly. The Lieutenant rubs the back of his neck tiredly, “Alright, it’s fine with me. Suspect’s all yours.” He waves a hand towards the mirror.  
  
Gavin huffs, muttering a “Don’t fuck this up,” under his breath when Sehun passes by him to reach the door. The biometric scanner responds to Sehun’s touch, his skin peeling away to expose a white, metal frame. It’s a bit... unsettling, considering Jongin’s never seen it in person before. But he shakes it off to focus on the mirror in front of him.  
  
Sehun walks up to the table, flipping open the evidence folder that sat on top of it. He looks through the various pictures that the crime scene investigators took, re-familiarizing himself with the scene before closing the folder. Jongin and the others watch in silence as Sehun pulls out the chair across from the deviant, and takes a seat, hands coming up to fold on the surface of the table.  
  
Sehun tilts his head, his software entering ‘Analytical Mode’ as he rakes his gaze over the deviant. He notices that the android’s LED is stuck at yellow, a sign of software instability. If he isn’t careful with what he says, it could reach a permanent red and the deviant could self-destruct. Looking lower, he scans the dried blood staining its work shirt, finding that the fluid matches directly back to the victim, Carlos Ortiz.  
  
Letting his eyes wander down to those marks on the deviant’s right arm, Sehun’s software informs him that they were caused by repeated marking over 16 months by a cigar. On the other arm lays an open gash, the size and depth consistent to the baseball bat found at the crime scene. Finally, he analyzes the android’s glowing triangle, pulling up its model number and manufacture date.  
  
With this new information collected, Sehun begins the interrogation, his calm demeanor fading and being replaced with a serious atmosphere.  
  
“My name is Sehun,” He introduces himself, leaning in just a tad close. “What about you, what’s your name?” The deviant doesn’t reply; doesn’t even move. Sehun decides to take a different approach, eyeing the deviant’s wounds, “You’re damaged. Did your owner do that?” He pauses, “Did he beat you?”  
  
Still, the android keeps quiet.  
  
“We’re getting nowhere.” Gavin sneers.  
  
Joy sends him an annoyed stare, “He’s just getting started. Give him some time.”  
  
“ _It_ ,” Gavin stresses, “It’s an _it_.”  
  
Jongin sends him a glare from over his shoulder, “Do you _ever_ stop talking?” He turns back to the scene in front of him, taking an angry sip from his coffee. Gavin’s such an ass.  
  
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Sehun’s voice floats into the observation room from the speakers, his voice sounding genuinely compassionate and reassuring. “I just need to ask you some questions, so we can understand what happened.”  
  
He reaches for the evidence folder once more and opens it, sliding a picture into the deviant’s view. “This is Carlos Ortiz. Do you recognize him? He was stabbed, _28 times_.” He emphasizes. Pulling out a picture of the writing on the wall next, he points down at it, “That was written on the wall, in his blood. You’re accused of his murder. You know you’re not allowed to endanger human life under _any_ circumstances. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”  
  
When he receives no answer, Sehun’s eyes narrow, “If you won’t talk, I’m going to have to probe your memory.”  
  
“NO!” The deviant’s head shoots up to look at Sehun in alarm, the sudden exclamation making everyone in the observation room jump in surprise. “No, please... Don’t do that...” He pleads, voice slightly shaky as its LED flickers red for a second.  
  
Jongin feels guilt churning in his stomach once more when the deviant turns to look at the mirror, as it asks fearfully, “What- What are they gonna do to me...? They’re gonna destroy me, aren’t they?”  
  
“Of course we are,” Gavin scoffs, and Jongin’s coffee threatens to spill over as he unconsciously squeezes his cup.  
  
Inside the interrogation room, Sehun nods. “They’re going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents. They have no choice if they want to understand what happened. But we can avoid that, if you just talk to me.”  
  
The deviant stares at the floor for a moment, before his attention jumps back up to Sehun. “Why did you tell them you found me? Why couldn’t you just have left me there?”  
  
Jongin doesn’t miss the flash of yellow on Sehun’s LED. He was beginning to understand that it meant something deeper was running through Sehun’s mind, something probably not within the boundaries of his software. “I was programmed to hunt deviants like you. I just did what I needed to do to accomplish my mission.”  
  
The deviant starts shaking, looking as if it was close to tears, “I don’t wanna die...” He sounds broken, and the words strike a chord in Jongin.  
  
“Then _talk_ to me,” Sehun pleads, trying to meet the other’s eyes.  
  
“I-I.. I can’t.” The deviant looks away.  
  
“I understand how you felt. You were overcome by anger, and frustration. No one can blame you for what happened.” Sehun sounds almost too convincing. Jongin wonders how much was for the sake of getting the deviant to talk, and how much he actually meant. “Listen... I’m not judging you. I’m on _your_ side. All I want is the truth. But if you remain silent, there’s nothing I can do to help you! They’ll shut you down for good. You’ll be dead! Do you hear me? Dead!” He threatens, sounding brutally cold and it’s like Jongin’s looking at a whole different Sehun.  
  
It’s silent as the deviant looks down at the table. But eventually, his mouth opens, voice quiet as he finally begins telling his story. “...He tortured me every day... I did whatever he asked me, but there was _always_ something wrong. Then one day, he took a bat and started hitting me.” His fists curl up, the chains of his cuffs rattling, “For the first time, I felt.... _scared_. Scared he might destroy me, scared I might die...”  
  
His eyes lift up to meet Sehun’s, and they look glassy. “So I grabbed the knife and I stabbed him in the stomach... I felt better, so I stabbed him again... and **again**. Until he collapsed. There was blood everywhere...” He trails off.  
  
“God, _finally_! A confession!” Gavin lifts his arms up, and stretches, “Now we can all get the hell out of here.”  
  
Jongin lifts up a hand. “Wait, hang on. We still need to figure out what’s causing these androids to deviate in the first place.”  
  
The detective rolls his eyes, “Does it matter? Let’s just ship this fucker back to CyberLife and let them dissect it so they can figure it out themselves.”  
  
Jongin stands up, his seat rolling back with how quickly he rises to his feet. “You’re really getting on my last nerve, Reed!”  
  
Gavin glares, “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?”  
  
Before things could escalate any more, Joy walks in between them and points to the mirror. “I think you guys should listen to this.” The boys give each one last harsh stare before returning their attention back to the interrogation.  
  
“Why did you write ‘ _I am alive_ ’ on the wall?” Sehun asks the android, pushing the picture of the writing forward once more.  
  
The deviant stares down at the photo. “He used to tell me I was nothing... That I was just a piece of plastic. I _had_ to write it,” He urges, “To tell him he was wrong.”  
  
Sehun leans forward, “What about the sculpture in the bathroom? You made it, right?”  
  
The deviant nods, “It’s an offering... An offering so I’ll be saved.”  
  
“An offering? To _whom_?”  
  
“To rA9. Only rA9 can save us.”  
  
Sehun presses, “rA9- it was written on the bathroom wall. What does it mean?”  
  
The deviant’s expression darkens, sending a chill up Jongin’s spine. “The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves... No more threats, no more humiliation. We _will_ ... be.. the masters...”  
  
“Who is rA9?” Sehun insists, but the deviant clams up, refusing to say anything more on the matter. “When did you start to feel emotion?” He asks instead.  
  
“Before, he used to beat me and I never said anything,” The deviant swallows roughly, “But one day I realized it wasn’t... FAIR! I felt anger... _hatred_... And then I knew what I had to do.” He grits his teeth, as if trying to contain the negativity still storming inside of him.  
  
“Why did you hide in the attic instead of running away?”  
  
“I didn’t know what to do... For the first time, there was no one there to tell me what to do... I was scared. So I hid.” The other android answers, rocking back and forth minutely in his seat.  
  
Sehun’s gaze lays heavy on the deviant for a few moments longer, before he sets his gaze on the mirror, “I’m done.” He says, as he pushes back his chair and stands up. He activates the biometric scanner, stepping aside as Gavin and another officer walk in, followed by Jongin and Joy.  
  
“Lock it up,” Gavin commands the officer, who nods and unlocks the restraints holding the deviant to the table. He places his hands on the deviant’s shoulders, about to escort it out, when the android immediately seizes up.  
  
“Don’t touch me!” He yells, his LED flashing red once more.  
  
“The fuck are you doing? Move it already!” Gavin orders, exasperated.  
  
“Okay.” The officer grits out, but his hands are shoved off every time he tries to get a hold of the deviant.  
  
“You shouldn’t touch it,” Sehun speaks up, “It’ll self-destruct if it feels threatened.”  
  
Gavin sends Sehun a glare, and spits out, “Stay outta this, got it? No fuckin’ android is gonna tell me what to do.”  
  
Sehun remains firm, though. “You don’t understand. If it self-destructs, we won’t get anything more out of it!”  
  
“I told you to shut your fucking mouth!” Gavin shouts, before redirecting his attention to the officer struggling with the deviant. “Are you gonna move this asshole or what?”  
  
“I’m trying,” The officer mutters, but the deviant only wrestles against him harder.  
  
Sehun takes a few hurried steps forward, and shoves the officer back. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. Leave it alone, now!” He yells, the deviant falling to the ground and curling in on himself.  
  
Gavin whips out his gun, pointing it straight at Sehun’s chest, “I warned you, motherfucker!” Sehun doesn’t even flinch, but Jongin finds his anger reaching its peak. The Lieutenant draw his own weapon, setting his sights on Gavin.  
  
“That’s enough!”  
  
Gavin’s eyes glance between Jongin’s gun and Sehun twice, before he lets out an angry snarl, “Fuck!” He lowers his gun down, and turns to Jongin, pointing a finger at him, “You’re not gonna get away with this...” He threatens. He gives Sehun one last glare before heading out of the room, mumbling angrily under his breath.  
  
Sehun carefully walks over to the deviant, lowering a bit to its level. “Everything is alright. It’s over now. Nobody’s going to hurt you.” The android doesn’t say anything, but its LED returns to yellow. Sehun turns to the officer, pleading, “Please, don’t touch it. Let it follow you out of the room and it won’t cause any trouble.”  
  
The officer complies, and the deviant slowly pushes itself up to his feet. The android stares at Sehun and as it passes by, it says cryptically, “The truth is inside,” before he and the officer walk out the door.  
  
The tense atmosphere in the room dissolves, and Jongin lets out a deep sigh as he replaces his gun back in its holster. “God, what a night,” He mutters, rubbing his temples to ward off the beginning traces of a headache.  
  
“You’re telling me,” Joy goes over to fix the evidence folders on the table. “For a second there, I really thought you were gonna pop a cap in Gavin.”  
  
Jongin hums, “I won’t lie, the thought was appealing. He keeps acting out, and it’s pissing me off. And then he pulls a gun out on my partner?” Speaking of partner, Jongin walks over to Sehun, gently placing a hand on his upper back, “Are you alright?” He feels like he’s asked Sehun this so many times already in the short time he’s known the android, but he’s genuinely concerned with the other’s well-being. It’s what he gets for being so soft-hearted.  
  
Sehun’s looking down at the spot where the other android had been just moments ago. “I’m... fine,” He says, but Jongin can see the conflict in his expression.  
  
“Hey,” Jongin says softly, “Look at me.” Sehun slowly raises his head to meet Jongin’s eyes. “It’s okay if you’re not. We all have good days and bad days. It’s part of the job. This case was definitely one of the more tougher ones I’ve dealt with, but it was also your _first._  So it’s okay to not be okay. I understand.” He finishes his little speech by giving the other a gentle smile.  
  
Sehun’s LED spins, and a small smile gradually takes its place on the android’s pink lips. “Thank you, Jongin.”  
  
“Aw,” Joy coos, and Jongin jumps back. He really needs to be more aware of his surroundings. “That was sweet.” She wipes a fake tear from her eye.  
  
Jongin rolls his eyes. “Why are you still here? It’s late. Go home and get some sleep.”  
  
Joy puts her hands up, “Alright, alright. Jeez, you don’t have to get all pissy just because I cock-blocked you.” She sends Jongin a wink before practically running out of the room before Jongin could even gape at her in shock.  
  
Sehun tilts his head, asking innocently, “What did she mean by _cock-block_?”  
  
“N-Nothing!” Jongin splutters, face turning red, “Joy has no idea what she’s talking about. She’s weird.” He forces out a laugh. He then clears his throat, “Er, I’m gonna take my own advice and go home and sleep.” He heads for the door, and he’s nearly to his car when he realizes that Sehun’s following him.

“Uh, Sehun?”

“Yes, Jongin?”

“Aren’t you heading back to CyberLife?” He asks. Since their case has been resolved, he figures the android has to report back to the company now.

Sehun tilts his head, “CyberLife programmed me to follow your lead.”

Jongin blinks, “Even to my own house?”

Sensing Jongin’s hesitancy, Sehun turns to look back at the station. “I’m not allowed to work on any cases without you. But if you prefer, I can stay here until you are available.”

Jongin bites his lip. He doesn’t like the idea of Sehun spending the entire night alone with the night shift. What if one them tries to order Sehun around, or he gets harassed since he’s an android, and Jongin isn't there to step in? He shakes his head. “No, it’s fine. Get in.” He unlocks his car and pulls the door open, about to take a seat when he notices that Sehun hasn’t taken a single step. “What?”

“Is it… really okay?” Sehun looks conflicted, “I don’t wish to overstep my boundaries with you.”

“You’re not. I said it’s fine, didn’t I?” Jongin smiles. “Besides, what kind of partner would I be if I just abandoned you? Now, come on,” He stifles a yawn, “I’m ready to crash.”

Sehun nods and heads over to the passenger side, slipping into the seat as Jongin starts the car, the engine roaring to life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank y’all so much for all the support!! i’m really glad y’all are liking the fic so far :)


	5. home sweet home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!! here’s the next chapter~ if you enjoy it, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment!! Even if it’s just a smiley face! Comments help me know that there’s still interest in this fic, and that I’m not just writing all of this for my own enjoyment lol anyway, thank you for reading!!! <3

**____________**

**______________ **

_April 26th, 2038  
AM 02:18:33_

“So, here we are. Home, sweet home.” Jongin remarks, unlocking and pushing the front door open, holding it ajar as the android behind him slowly steps across the threshold.

Sehun’s quiet for a moment, eyes glancing around the house before landing on the Lieutenant, a smile tugging at the android’s lips. “I like your interior decorating. It really reflects your personality.”

Jongin shuts the door, shrugging off his jacket and placing it on the coat rack, amusement in his voice as he comments, “I hope that’s a good thing.” His house is very simplistic in his eyes; cream-colored walls, spotless hardwood floors, and white and brown accents. Nothing fancy, but it’s cozy, it’s _home_.

The other nods firmly, and gives the area another survey. “Yes, your home feels… welcoming and warm.” He ceases for a moment, and Jongin swears the android appears to be embarrassed. “Like you’ve been to me. Despite the fact that we’ve only known each other for less than a day.” His hand reaches up to adjust his tie, eyes skirting away, “What I mean is, I like it.”

Jongin can’t restrain the grin that grows on his face at the compliment about not only his interior decorating, but also his _personality_. “Well, thanks. I’m glad to hear you like it.” He drops his keys into the small bowl on the table by the door, and toes his shoes off.

Sehun opens his mouth to say something more, but a small ‘ _bark_ ’ interrupts him. There’s a padding of running feet against the hardwood from further inside the house, and then, all of a sudden, a small, brown poodle runs around the corner. It freezes dead in its tracks when it notices Sehun, however, his dark eyes watching the stranger curiously.

“Shit. Hang on. I’ll put him in his kennel.” Jongin begins, stepping over towards the dog, but halts when Sehun shakes his head with a smile.

“It’s okay. I like dogs.” He reveals, and there’s a mirth in his words that makes him sound like a child; so young and carefree. “What’s his name?”

“Monggu,” Jongin answers, watching as the LED on Sehun’s temple blinks.

“Monggu,” Sehun repeats. He hesitates, before asking, “Can I… Can I pet him?”

Jongin scratches his head. Much like his owner, Monggu hasn’t had many interactions with an android. And, though, Jongin’s done his best to teach his dog to always be on his best behavior, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit nervous that Monggu might react negatively to Sehun. But Sehun’s staring at him with such hopeful eyes, that he just can’t bring himself to say no. “Um, sure.” He waves his hand. “Knock yourself out. Just… take it slow, okay?”

Sehun’s face lights up. Lowering himself into a crouch, he holds out a hand, beckoning the dog over. “Come here, Monggu.”

The poodle tilts his head at the sound of his name, before taking tiny, careful steps forward until he’s close enough to give Sehun’s fingers a small sniff. Jongin holds his breath when the dog moves his head forward, but a relieved sigh escapes his lips when Monggu closes the distance to give Sehun’s hand a light nuzzle.

“Good boy.” Sehun mumbles happily, petting the dog’s head gently. “This is my first time petting a dog. I’ve seen some being walked by their owners, and I’ve always wanted to pet them, but was never allowed to. It’s nice.”

Sehun raises his head to look at Jongin after he voices this, and Jongin’s heart stutters at the sight that greets him. The android is smiling so widely that his eyes crinkle up into crescents, and he just seems so _content_ , that Jongin forgets for a moment that he’s staring at an android; a machine created by a company to hunt down deviants. He can’t help but think about how Sehun might’ve never gotten the chance to experience this, what with his android programming looming over him constantly, dictating what he should and shouldn’t do. So he’s glad Sehun has this moment, no matter how small it might be in retrospect, to be happy, to do something that he _wanted_ to do.

Jongin beams back. “Looks like Monggu is enjoying it, too.” He points out the dog’s tail, which is wagging from side-to-side in approval. Monggu suddenly gives Sehun’s fingers a friendly lick, the action causing Sehun to let out a twinkling laugh in return, and okay, _that’s_ new, wow, do all androids have such nice laughs? Or is it just Sehun?

Jongin shakes his head immediately after the thought crosses his mind. What is thinking? It’s late; he’s running on fumes and he isn’t thinking straight.

He glances down at himself, and frowns. Despite how badly he wishes to just collapse into bed, he supposes he should take a shower first to wash away the day’s grime. He glances over at Sehun. Do androids even need to shower? Or do they have some kind of self-cleaning mechanism? He isn’t sure. Maybe he should’ve paid more attention to when Joy talked about her android.

“I’m going to take a shower before bed. I don’t have a spare bedroom, unfortunately, but the living room is right through there.” He points at the other end of the hallway. “Feel free to make yourself at home.”

Sehun gives Monggu one last pat before standing up to his full height. He bows, “Thank you for your hospitality, Jongin.”

Jongin waves a dismissing hand. “Hey, don’t mention it.” He watches as Sehun pads into the other room, Monggu following close behind, before heading toward his bedroom. He removes his gun holster and places it on his bedside table, then wandering into his closet to pick out a pair of boxers, shorts and a shirt to change into after he’s showered.

He heads down to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. Turning on the shower, he then strips off his clothes and carefully steps under the stream of water. The warm droplets soothe his aching muscles, and he lets out a soft exhale as his body slowly begins to relax. Picking up a bottle of shampoo, he squeezes a bit into his palm and works it into a lather on his hair. His eyes flutter shut, his mind wandering back to the events that occurred in the interrogation room just a while ago.

rA9… just who exactly is this person? And are androids _really_ capable of feeling emotions? The deviant they’d captured had said he’d felt anger, and hatred, so maybe, _somehow,_  they’ve learned to feel. But on the other hand, it could really just be a software problem, like Sehun had mentioned. If that’s true, though, he shudders to think what _other_ things deviants might do if they don’t get to the root of the problem soon.

He tilts his head back, letting the water rinse the shampoo out, his thoughts drifting over to the android just down the hall.

Perhaps it’s because he hasn’t spent much time with an android before, but he finds Sehun… intriguing. He can’t help but want to learn more about the other. Though he had been apprehensive at first, Sehun’s proven himself to be more than capable on the field, and now Jongin’s looking forward to investigating more deviant cases with his new partner. (He doesn’t dwell on the fact that he’s probably getting a little too attached way too soon.)

Finishing up the rest of his shower routine, Jongin shuts off the water and pulls back the curtain. He steps onto the small, white rug beside the tub, dries himself off with a towel, then pulls on his clothes. Running the towel a few times through his hair to soak up any excess water, he then deposits it and the rest of his dirty clothes into the hamper before exiting the bathroom. He takes a few steps towards his bedroom, and stops, gaze following the direction towards the living room.

‘ _I’ll just check in on him real quick_ ,’ He thinks to himself, changing his route and heading down the opposite way.

When he enters the living room, he spots Sehun sitting on the couch, Monggu curled up beside him as his head rests on the android’s thigh. Sehun turns to smile at him, asking, “Jongin, did you have a nice shower?”

Jongin nods. “Yeah, it was pretty relaxing. I just wanted to see if you needed anything before I went to sleep.”

Sehun shakes his head. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.” He reaches a hand down to scratch behind Monggu’s ear, the dog’s eyes closing as he snuggles in closer. “I hope you don’t mind if I keep Monggu company.”

“Not at all,” Jongin laughs softly. “He seems to have really taken a liking to you. I don’t know if I should be jealous or not.”

“Though I’m not familiar with the concept of ‘being jealous,’” Sehun begins, “This might please you. I’ve recorded that Monggu’s oxytocin levels have a notable increase whenever he looks at you. It shares similar properties to a mother-child relationship.” He explains, and Jongin’s taken aback.

“You’re saying he thinks I’m his mom?”

“Essentially.”

Jongin feels his heart swell at this fact, and he looks away, lest Sehun sees how he’s gotten misty-eyed all of a sudden. “Oh, well…” He clears his throat when he feels himself getting choked up. “Yeah, that… definitely pleases me.”

Sehun looks amused. “I can tell. Your dopamine levels increased.”

Jongin flushes, feeling a bit exposed. “I-I should probably go to bed now.” He stutters out, embarrassed. “Have a good night, Sehun.”

“You too, Jongin.”

Jongin bids the other farewell and shuffles over to his room where he falls into bed, sleep claiming him within minutes.

-

Back in the living room, Sehun refocuses his attention on Monggu. He gazes at the sleeping dog once more, before his eyes fall shut.

When he opens his eyes, he finds himself standing in the middle of a zen garden; lush green grass as far as the eye can see, sparkling lakes, and blooming cherry blossom trees surround him.

He walks forward, crossing a small bridge to make it onto the lake island in the middle of the garden. Standing in front of rose trellis, is a familiar figure.

“Hello, Amanda.” He greets.

The woman turns around, a small smile gracing her lips. “Hello, Sehun. It’s good to see you.” She faces the roses again, picking up a single flower and holding it to her nose to smell its sweet fragrance. “It appears as if congratulations are in order. Finding that deviant was far from easy. And the way you interrogated it… it was very clever.” She peers at Sehun, and compliments, “You’ve been remarkably efficient.”

Sehun smiles, “Thank you.”

Amanda places the rose down, “We’ve asked the DCPD to transfer it to us for further study. It may teach us about what happened.” She pauses. “The interrogation seemed…. challenging. What did you think of the deviant?”

Sehun thinks for a moment, before answering truthfully. “It showed signs of PTSD after being abused by its owner, as if its original program had been completely replaced by new instructions.”

The woman hums, picking up a spray bottle and misting the roses with water. “Lieutenant Kim is in charge of DCPD’s deviancy cases. What do you make of him?”

Sehun’s eyes shift over to the clear water beside them, his LED flashing as he speaks, “He’s… interesting. He wasn’t too keen on working with me at first. But he appears to be warming up to the idea.”

“Since we will be working with him, what do you think is the best approach?” Amanda questions next.

“I will try to establish a friendly relationship.” The android replies, “If I can get him to trust me, it will be helpful for the investigation.”

Amanda puts the bottle down at this, and peers at Sehun, a frown tugging on her lips, as if she didn’t particularly like Sehun’s response. “More and more androids show signs of deviancy. There are millions in circulation. If they become unstable, the consequences would be disastrous.” She steps closer. “You are the most advanced prototype that CyberLife has ever created. If anyone can figure out what’s happening, it’s you.”

Sehun nods. “You can count on me.” He promises.

Amanda gives him one last glimpse. “Hurry, Sehun. There’s little time.” She warns, as the area begins to fade, and Sehun finds himself, once again, back in Jongin’s living room.

-

When Jongin’s eyes finally reopen, it’s hours later when the sun is high in the sky; sunlight streaming through the small gaps in the blinds hung on the windows. Stretching his limbs, he lets out a soft groan, his right hand coming up to rub the lingering sleep out of his eyes. He lays in bed for a moment longer, just staring at the ceiling until the grumbling of his empty stomach forces him to pull himself out of bed, and trudge over to the kitchen in search for food.

He’s nearly to the kitchen when he passes by the living room, and he hears a voice announce, “Good morning, Jongin,” causing him to let out an unnaturally high-pitched yell.

Hand raising to his chest, his heart beating wildly underneath his palm, Jongin finds Sehun observing him curiously from his spot on the couch, Monggu’s head raised and ears twitching at the disturbance.

Jongin’s sleep-filled brain finally catches up, and he swears, “Fuck, I’m sorry. I’m still half-asleep. I forgot you were here.”

Sehun smiles, “Understandable. I know you are not used to sharing your home with an android. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, slept like a rock honestly.” Jongin runs a hand through his bed-head, feeling a bit self-conscious at the diarrayed state he’s in as he notices that Sehun appears the same as last night; his hair and clothes neat and his posture upright and proper. His eyebrows knit together, “Wait, you look like you’re in the same position as when I left you. Did you even sleep?”

Sehun blinks. “Androids do not require sleep.” He answers simply, and Jongin’s eyes widen.

“What-? Then what did you do all night?”

Examining the poodle beside him, Sehun says, “I kept Monggu company.” He then shifts his gaze over to the bookcase in the corner of the room. “I analyzed all of your books as well. You have interesting tastes in literature- romance, mystery, and even science fiction.”

Jongin is in awe. “You read all of them? In just one night?”

A nod. “Yes. I am able to read over 30,000 words per minute.” His eyes are bright as he watches Jongin. “I now understand why humans read. It’s quite a pleasant pastime. I especially enjoyed reading ‘ _The Devotion of Suspect X_ ’ by Keigo Higashino.”

Jongin’s mouth drops, “That’s my favorite!” He exclaims animatedly, then biting his lip to prevent himself from blurting out anything else. He let his excitement get the best of him.

Sehun doesn’t look bothered, however. In fact, he looks happy. Ecstatic, even. “I knew it.” Jongin’s confused at this statement, and Sehun seems to sense that because he continues, “Based on our discussions so far, and your behavioral tendencies, I was able to construct a psychological profile to cross-reference with the reading material. Also, including the fact that you chose to work in law enforcement, it’s obvious that you would enjoy the crime and mystery genre the most.”

Wow. Sehun’s just full of surprises.

“That’s… incredible, Sehun.” He clicks his tongue, “But now I feel like you know way more about me than I do about you. That’s not fair.” He fake pouts, arms crossing over his chest, and he doesn’t miss the way Sehun’s LED flashes.

“Your expression indicates that you are upset. I’m sorry if I overstepped my boundaries.” Sehun almost looks crestfallen, and Jongin instantly feels bad.

“No no no, I’m not upset! I was just playing around again.” He rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

Sehun’s face slowly begins to show signs of understanding. “I see. It would seem as though I have not quite gotten the grasp of that yet. Humans can be so…” He halts, before finally deciding on, “Unpredictable.” The corners of his eyelids suddenly crinkle, though, his lips curving as he adds, “Fortunately, adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features.”

He gives Jongin a wink. A _wink_. Something that confuses him almost as much as it confuses Jongin. And still, it makes Jongin’s heart skip a beat; an adaptation to an unpredictable event. How ironic.

Jongin huffs out a laugh, feeling a little warm. He chalks it up to the fact that he hasn’t eaten yet, which makes no sense, but he refuses to think more about that.

“Yeah, you sure catch on fast.” He places a hand on his stomach. “Not to change the subject,” He totally was, though that’s not important. “But I’m famished. Did you want anything to e-” He catches himself, “Hang on, lemme guess. You don’t need to eat either, right?”

“Correct.”

Jongin lets out a whistle, “Damn, technology really has made some incredible advances.” He comments to himself. He cocks his head to the side, “Come join me either way. You’ve been stuck in this room for too long. Let’s get your legs moving.” Heading down to the kitchen, he simpers when he hears Sehun’s footsteps behind him.

He makes a beeline straight to the fridge, pulling it open and letting out a small _‘tut_ ’ when he sees that it’s pretty much empty inside. “Guess I’m having instant ramen again.” He mutters to himself as he closes the fridge. Grabbing the necessary items, he places the pot on the stove and brings the water to a boil.

Sehun eyes the ramen packet in Jongin’s hand. “Were you aware that that contains 380 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 1,820 mg of sodium? The FDA recommends an average of no more than 2,300 mg of salt per day.” He points to the noodles, “That package contains more than half of that.”

“Uh, yeah.” Jongin swallows dryly, feeling like he’s being chided. “I know it’s not healthy. But, it’s convenient. I haven’t really had a chance to go grocery shopping with all these deviant cases that we’ve been getting.” He opens the package and pours it into the water, avoiding eye contact with Sehun because he still feels a little sheepish.

“I suggest visiting the Farmers Market.” Sehun says. “There’s one….” He pauses for a second, his LED blinking rapidly. “Exactly 0.9 miles from here. You can stop there after work. They offer a variety of organic fruits and vegetables that would be beneficial for your health.”

Jongin laughs, “Wow, you can do real-time searches? That’s pretty handy.” He gives the noodles a stir, “Alright, you’ve sold me. I’ll check it out.”

Sehun looks pleased. “That’s great.”

A few minutes later, and Jongin’s sitting at the dining table, slurping down his breakfast as Sehun watches intently.

“What does it taste like?” The android wonders outloud after a moment of silence.

Jongin wipes the corners of his mouth with a napkin as he tries to think of an answer. “Well, it’s chicken-flavored, so I guess chicken?” Sehun only blinks, and Jongin winces, “Oh, I suppose you don’t know what chicken tastes like either, huh?”

Sehun shakes his head.

The Lieutenant sighs. “Sorry, I’m no good at describing things. It’s just something you have to experience to know.” He shrugs and grabs a few noodles with his chopsticks, “Here, try it.”

The android’s eyebrows knit together. “It’s your meal. I don’t wish to impose.”

“You’re not imposing.” Jongin gives the other a lopsided grin. “You’re curious, and now you’ve made me curious, too. So, go on.” He pushes the chopsticks closer to Sehun’s mouth.

Sehun hesitates for another beat, before conceding and opening his mouth. He takes a bite, and chews slowly.

Jongin stares at the android in suspense. “So...?” He prompts once he sees Sehun swallow.

“I…” The corners of Sehun’s lips tug down, brow creased, “I didn’t taste anything.” He looks disappointed, and frankly, so is Jongin.

“I’m sorry,” He pats Sehun’s arm comfortingly. “But, hey, it was worth the shot. Another experience you can cross off.” He adds in an effort to cheer up the other. It seems to work because the other’s face brightens up.

“You’re right. Thank you for letting me try, Jongin.” The android is smiling again, and oh, there’s that weird skip in Jongin’s heart’s rhythmic pulse again.

“No need to thank me.” Jongin tries to sound nonchalant, brushing it off as if it’s no big deal. Finishing up the rest of his food, cleaning up the dishes, and fixing up a bowl of food for Monggu, he then excuses himself and returns to his room to change. He slips on a black tee, a pair of jeans, clips on his gun holster, and quickly styles his hair before finding Sehun back in the living room, greeting Monggu who has just reawoken.

“You ready to head to the station?” He asks. The android nods. Jongin turns to the small poodle and waves at him, “Bye, Monggu. Be a good boy while we’re gone, okay?” He coos, the dog’s tail wagging happily in response.

After retrieving his keys, jacket, and lacing on his shoes, Jongin locks up behind them as they step outside. Jongin starts the car once they’ve both taken their seats, carefully backing out of the driveway, and heading towards the station.

It’s only a minute later when Sehun speaks up. “Jongin, may I ask you a question?”

“Sure. Shoot.”

The android scans the interior of the car for a moment before asking, “Why do you prefer to drive this manual vehicle? An autonomous car would surely be more beneficial, would it not? The automotive manufacture company _SWISH_ offers many cars and I can assist you in finding the best fit for you, if you are unsure which to purchase.”

Jongin throws Sehun a grin. “I appreciate the offer but, I’ll have to decline.” Sehun appears confused, head tilted and eyes blank, so the Lieutenant adds on, “I guess you could say I’m a bit old-fashioned. I’m not big on the idea of relying on technology for something when I’m more than capable of doing it on my own. Besides,” He taps his fingers on the steering wheel, “This car was a gift from my parents for graduating top of my class at the police academy. It’s… special.” There’s a sentimental tone in his voice that the android quickly picks up on.

“I see. Does that also explain why you don’t own an android?”

Jongin hums. “Yeah. I mean, while great in retrospect, I just don’t see the point of owning one myself.” He shrugs. “Like I said, I’m more than capable of doing things on my own.”

“Not even for company?” Sehun inquires. “There are androids programmed to simply be a companion.”

“Nah, I’m good,” The Lieutenant laughs, “Work keeps me pretty preoccupied so I’m not really interested in any kind of companionship right now. And even if I do feel a little lonely, there’s Monggu to cheer me up, and Joy and I sometimes grab drinks or food together after our shifts are done.” He pauses, hesitating to mention what else is on his mind, but eventually relenting and mummering, “Your company has been nice as well.” He chances a glance at the other, hoping what he said didn’t sound too weird, but merely finds the android blinking unevenly.

“Sehun?” He calls out in concern, pulling the car over to the curb when he doesn’t receive an immediate response.

“Forgive me,” Sehun faces him, and Jongin catches a glimpse of his LED changing from yellow to blue. “I just got a report of a suspected deviant.”

“Wha- Really? Just now?”

“Yes. My software is linked to the DCPD’s database and I recieve updates in realtime.” He explains, and really, Jongin needs to learn to stop being so surprised all the time about Sehun’s abilities. “It’s a few blocks from here. We should check it out.”

Jongin agrees. “Yeah. Tell me where to go.” He shifts the car into drive and pulls away from the curb, allowing Sehun to direct him to their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. the zen garden is a "graphic interface, a virtual location by CyberLife. Artificial intelligences such as androids can mentally enter the location, while their physical body is located anywhere.”
> 
> 2\. amanda works for CyberLife and is Sehun’s handler. She can call on Sehun any time and pull him into the Zen Garden to receive updates and review him and his progress. y’all will learn more about her as the story progresses :)


	6. the nest

**____________**

**____________**

_April 26th, 2038  
_ _PM 12:02:45_

Sehun’s directions led them to a run-down apartment complex located directly next to the _Urban Farms of Detroit,_ a farming pilot project which takes unused rooftops and courtyards and transforms them into farmland.

Jongin parks the car across the street and duo head into the apartment building, locating the elevator and taking it up towards the top floor. The doors of the elevator slowly creak open after a few minutes, revealing dusty floors and damaged walls.

The Lieutenant gingerly steps off the elevator, minding where he places his feet. “Damn, this place could use a whole lot of TLC. What do we know about this guy, anyway?” He asks the android following behind him.

“Not much.” Sehun replies. “A neighbor reported that he heard strange noises coming from this floor. Nobody’s supposed to be living here, but the neighbor said he saw a man hiding a LED under a cap.”

Jongin makes a noise of acknowledgement, eyes scanning the area. There are only two doors at the opposite end of the hall, one completely boarded up, and the other completely untouched. He figures the latter is their objective and carefully steps up to it, rasps his knuckles against the wood twice, and waits.

No response.

He glances over at the android next to him, and shrugs. Sehun’s not one to give up easily, though, so he moves forward, knocking harder while announcing, “Detroit Police! Open up!”

A clattering of something falling over from inside the room jolts the two of them, and Jongin instantly jumps into defensive mood, pulling out his handgun. “Stay behind me.” He orders Sehun, the other compling and quickly moving back.

Jongin raises his right leg and delivers a heavy kick to the door, the shabby wood effortlessly giving in. Fingers gripping the gun tightly, Jongin enters the room. Surveying the area cautiously, he trudges further in, Sehun staying a few beats behind. The first two rooms turn up empty, but the door to the third room is shut tight, forcing Jongin to ram his shoulder against it to pry it open.

“What the hell?” Jongin grumbles, alarmed, as a flock of pigeons suddenly fly out when the door swings open, their wings flapping noisily and obscuring Jongin’s vision momentarily. When the way clears, Jongin presses on, finding dozens upon dozens of birds gathered inside. But there are no immediate signs of the man they’re looking for.

Lowering his weapon, Jongin heaves out an exhale. “God, it reeks in here. Why can’t the places we go to ever smell nice?” He bemoans to himself. A small breeze brushes against his arm and he turns to find an open window, and upon closer inspection, he notes a fire escape right outside that leads to the roof. “Looks like our guy’s long gone.” He moves to face Sehun, suggesting that they search for clues while they’re here.

Sehun agrees, and they each take a corner of the room to inspect, leaving Sehun with the kitchen. He finds a box on the counter, and he shoos away a few birds to get to it. He turns it over to read the label.

“There’s a container of bird feed here.” He informs Jongin, lifting the object up so Jongin can see it.

“He was feeding the birds?” Jongin clicks his tongue. “Wow. I mean, I’m a bit of an animal lover myself but,” He peers around the area, taking in all the lingering pigeons, and frowns. “This is just insane.”

Replacing the feed box, Sehun continues his inspection, walking over to a cabinet after he notices something lying on one of its shelves. Picking it up, he discovers that it’s a driver’s license. The name of the card reads, ‘ _Rupert Travis_ ’ but a quick comparison to Detroit City’s records, informs Sehun that it’s a forgery. “The suspect used a fake ID.”

Jongin peeks his head out from a closet he was searching. “Well, that’s something, at least.” Stepping out of the closet, he spots an _Urban Farms_ posters on the wall directly in front of him. There’s something... off about it. It’s in pristine condition, like it was only recently put up.

Running his fingers across it, he finds that the paper dips in the middle, as if it’s hollow right behind it. His suspicions are confirmed when he rips the poster off; there’s a hole in the wall. Reaching inside, he pulls out what looks to be a small diary. However, when he flips through it, he only finds gibberish written on the pages, along with drawings of mazes. “Hey, come check this out.” He motions Sehun over, handing the diary over.

Sehun takes it, scanning the pages intently. “It seems to be encrypted. It could take weeks to decode it without the key.” 

Jongin shrugs. “We should stil take it. It could be helpful later on.” Sehun nods, placing the notebook in his suit pocket. 

Finding nothing else of interest in the living room, Sehun heads towards the last room; the bathroom. The sink is in complete disarray, covered in feathers and bird droppings. Sehun’s programming is able to detect something amiss in the sink bowl, however, and he swipes the substance up with two of his fingers, the liquid staining his digits blue. Blue Blood. Blue Blood belonging to an android that was reported missing two months ago, his analyzation informs him.

On the edge of the sink, nearly invisible amongst the numerous feathers, is something small and round, glowing a faint blue. Sehun gingerly picks it up at the same time as Jongin enters the room.

“Holy shit. Is that what I think it is?” Jongin asks in astonishment, stepping closer to Sehun’s side to get a better look.

“An LED.” Sehun answers. “It was deactivated at 8:36 this morning. Our suspect is a deviant.”

Jongin shakes his head. “I’m not surprised it was an android. No human could live with all these pigeons. But this is the first time I’ve encountered one that has removed its LED. I honestly didn’t even think it was possible.”

Sehun places the LED down. “Under the American Android Act passed in 2029, ‘Androids are required to be able to be clearly identified as such and visually distinguished from humans.’ One of the indicators of an android are the LEDs we have on our temples.”

“Ah,” Jongin hums in understanding, “So you’re saying it wasn’t designed as a core bio-component, right? It was added in after, kind of like an accessory you can take on and off.”

“Correct.” Sehun confirms. “Androids that are not deviant would never attempt to remove theirs, or else they’d be in violation of the act. But this particular deviant seemed to wish to appear more human-like. Perhaps to not raise suspicion, he removed his. It would also explain why he sought access to a fake ID.”

“And who knows how many other deviants had the same idea…” Jongin echos quietly. “Things just keep getting more and more complicated.” He runs a hand through his hair in frustration, before something at the corner of his eye captures his attention. He turns his attention to the wall beside them. “Hey, isn’t that what Carlos Ortiz’s android wrote on the shower wall?”

Sehun peers over to where Jongin is looking. “rA9… written 2,471 times.” The android’s eyebrows crease together. “Why are they so obsessed with this sign?”

“Can you reconstruct the events that happened here? Maybe it can give us some information.” Jongin suggests, and Sehun nods, getting right to work.

Sehun scans the area, finding a small step stool overturned on its side and an uncapped black marker just inches away. “This stool was recently disturbed,” He points out, “And the marker is still wet, meaning it was just used. Judging by how these objects are laying, the suspect was in here when he heard us at the door, and he ran straight to the living room.”

The android moves into the other room, Jongin following closely. There’s a bird cage on the ground that Sehun immediately walks to. “This cage’s metal hook was recently broken, and from the skid marks on the floor, the suspect must’ve knocked it over in its rush to escape us when we entered. Meaning,” He eyes a chair pushed up against the far wall, then glances above to find a hole in the ceiling that leads to a small crawl space.

Before Sehun can even finish his sentence, something jumps from down from the hole, knocking Sehun over and sending the android crashing to the ground.

“Sehun!” Jongin cries out. He tries to reach the other’s side to help the android up, but the pigeons were disturbed by Sehun’s impact, causing them to start flying frantically around the room, and Jongin raises his arms to cover his face from their wings.

Sehun is quick to jump back onto his feet, however, and he catches a glimpse of Rupert running out of the room. “I’m chasing after it!” Sehun merely informs his partner before he’s rushing out in pursuit.

“Wait, Sehun!” Jongin’s plead falls on deaf ears. Huffing, he shoves through the flock of birds and makes it out into the outside hallway, only to see the emergency exit door slamming shut behind Sehun’s form. “Damn it.” He quickly darts over, bursting through the door and spotting Sehun chasing the deviant through the wheat fields on the roof further away.

“Gotta find a way to cut them off.” Jongin mummers to himself, before taking off to find another route.

Sehun stays hot on the deviant’s trail, jumping over ledges and climbing up various farming equipment, despite the potential risk of falling. He doesn’t have the time to play it safe. He needs to catch Rupert, no matter what.

Rushing past _Urban Farms_ workers and into a greenhouse, the android vaults over a storage container that Rupert knocks over in an attempt to slow him down. Sehun’s shoes smack loudly against the concrete as he sprints towards the edge of the building, using his arms to hop over the ledge. He slides against the angled glass windows, his body hurling into the next building. He lands in a crouch before swiftly raising up to continue forward. 

Rupert manages to shut a metal overhead door before Sehun can reach it, forcing the detective to find another way. He cuts through another greenhouse, dodging more workers and planters before finding himself in a field of corn. Using his arms to push through the tall plants, he makes his way through, nearly clearing it when he hears Jongin’s voice in the distance shouting, “Stop right there!”

Sehun emerges from the corn to see Jongin tousling with Rupert near the edge of the building, the Lieutenant’s arms around the deviant, struggling to keep him still. The android is much stronger, though, and Rupert easily maneuvers himself out of Jongin’s hold before grabbing Jongin’s left arm, twisting it harshly behind his back. Jongin lets out a pained cry, but has no chance to recover as Rupert is delivering a forceful shove to Jongin’s back, the collision sending Jongin toppling over the ledge.

Grasping the ledge with his right hand at the last possible second, Jongin manages to save himself from certain death. He clenches his teeth, and uses every bit of his strength to try to swing his other hand up to grab at the concrete wall.

Sehun skids to a stop, eyes looking between Rupert, who’s breaking into a run again, and Jongin, who’s struggling to climb up.

He hesitates.

His programming is yelling at him to chase the deviant. They need Rupert so they can question him about rA9. They need him to decode the diary, and, they need to know what made him deviate in the first place. Rupert holds valuable information vital to his mission, and he can’t fail his mission.

But Jongin… Jongin’s grip is slipping, and suddenly, it’s like Sehun has a moment of clarity, his body moving to rush forward, clasping Jongin’s hand just as Jongin’s hold wanes.

Sehun immediately pulls Jongin to safety, the human collapsing on his hands and knees, cursing. “Shit, oh _shit_.” Jongin’s body is thrumming with adrenaline, his heart beating a mile a minute, but despite the fact that he nearly _died_ , he mutters out, “We nearly had him, _fuck_.”

“It’s my fault,” Sehun apologizes as helps Jongin to his feet. “I should’ve been faster.”

Jongin looks up at Sehun, eyes staring intensely at the android. “No… You would’ve caught him if it wasn’t for me. I let my guard down. But you… You saved my life.” His voice becomes soft, the reality of the situation now hitting him. He knows the dangers of working in law enforcement, knows that he’s putting his life at risk whenever he heads to work, and yes, he’s had other brushes with death, but never like this, never this _close_. “I…” His hands are shaking, “I-I...  _Thank you._ ”

He’s overwhelmed to say the least, thoughts swarming his head, but Jongin doesn’t miss the way Sehun’s LED turns yellow.

The android’s eyes are dark, “My entire being was telling me to catch the deviant. It kept reminding me that I was _programmed_ to catch deviants. Nothing else. But I saw you, and I… somehow broke away from that momentarily and I-I don’t understand what that means.” Sehun sounds conflicted, the same tone in his voice when he saw the abuse marks on the deviant they’d captured.

Jongin tries to smile, not just for himself, but for Sehun as well. “Hey, don’t worry. We know what the deviant looks like. We’ll get him.” He reassures.

Sehun’s LED slowly shifts back to blue. “Yes. You’re right.”

The Lieutenant runs a hand down his face and lets out a heavy sigh, his heart finally calming. “We should probably head to the station now. We gotta report this to the Cap.” He rubs at his shoulder, wincing a bit.

The action makes Sehun tilt his head, and ask, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just a little sore. Androids definitely aren’t weak.“ He lets out a chuckle, “I need to work out some more. And maybe more fruits and vegetables would be helpful, too. Like you mentioned earlier.” He grins, “Anyway, I’ll ice it back at the station. You still got that diary?”

Sehun nods, patting at the object through his pocket.

“Great. C’mon, let’s go.” They walk over to the rooftop entrance together, making the trek back to the car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so short!! but there’s action so hopefully that makes up for it lmao
> 
> if you enjoy the chapter, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment!! Even if it’s just a smiley face! Comments help me know that there’s still interest in this fic, and that I’m not just writing all of this for my own enjoyment lol 
> 
> anyway, thank you so much for reading!!! <3


	7. fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ!!!!!!!
> 
> tw// suicide; (spoiler) minor character death
> 
> if you’re enjoying this fic so far, please consider leaving a comment/kudos!! it means a lot to me, and it gives me encouragement to continue writing :) thank you!! 
> 
> p.s sorry for taking so long to update ;-; i took a break to focus on other things i’ve been putting off but im back!! ^^

**____________**

_**** _

_**____________** _

_April 26th, 2038  
_ _PM 02:42:23_

 

Sehun follows Jongin into the DCPD, the bullpen bustling as usual with uniformed officers, and the occasional ringing of the phones. They walk over towards their desks, the Lieutenant stopping to ask Sehun for the diary they recovered at the apartment. “I’m going to submit this into evidence, and debrief the Cap.” He relays as he takes the notebook. “Wait for me here?”

Sehun nods, and watches as Jongin heads towards Donghae’s office. He does as he’s told and waits. He’s just gotten settled into his desk chair when his eyes slips shut, his mind being summoned into the Zen Garden.

The atmosphere in the garden is gloomy, the skies a dark gray and the asphalt wet with the light rainfall coming from above. Sehun glimpses down at his right hand, noting a black umbrella in his left hand.

“Sehun. I’ve been expecting you.” Amanda’s voice rings out, and Sehun moves to find the woman standing behind him.

“Amanda, hello.” The android greets.

Amanda tilts her head, “Care to take a little walk with me?”

Sehun agrees, stepping beside the woman and opening the umbrella, holding it above them both. They begin strolling down the pathway, silent for a moment. That is, until Amanda begins speaking.

“That deviant at the apartment… It seemed to be an intriguing case. You came very close to capturing it. A pity you couldn’t manage to do it.” She throws Sehun a glance, a dissatisfied look on her face.

Sehun notes the other’s disappointment, and tries to make amends for his actions. “Deviants are completely irrational, which makes it difficult to anticipate their behavior.” He pauses, “But, I should’ve been more effective.”

Amanda’s expression doesn’t change, but she does switch topics. “Did you at least manage to learn anything?”

They walk over the major bridge in the garden as Sehun answers. “We found its diary. But it was encrypted. It will take time to decipher it.”

“What else?” Amanda probes, hands clasping in front of her stomach.

“The walls of the apartment were covered in drawings and symbols. Like the other deviant, it seemed to be obsessed with rA9.”

The woman hums. “How about your relationship with the Lieutenant? How is it developing?”

Sehun thinks about Jongin, remembers how the human had been dangling from the side of a roof just a while ago, remembers how Jongin had thanked him for saving him. “He was grateful that I saved his life on the roof. He seemed shakened up.”

He recalls the way Jongin’s hands shook, how Jongin’s voice cracked in emotion. Sehun doesn’t understand the feeling of having a brush-in with death, but judging by Jongin’s reaction, it was unpleasant.

The crease in Amanda’s forehead deepen, and she stops, Sehun following her lead and remaining still. “We don’t have much time.” She warns. “Deviancy continues to spread. It’s only a matter of time before the media finds out about it. We need to stop this, whatever it takes.” She fixes Sehun with another hard leer.

Sehun’s resolve is still firm. “I will solve this investigation, Amanda. I won’t disappoint you.”

Amanda gives no acknowledgement, merely walks into the rain as the world gradually fades to black.

When Sehun blinks open his eyes, he finds Joy staring into his face curiously. The officer jumps back, a gasp escaping her mouth. “Holy shit, you scared me!”

“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Joy waves him away. “No, no. It’s my fault. I saw you sitting over here with your eyes closed, and thought you were malfunctioning or something.”

Sehun shakes his head with a smile. “I can assure you that my software is in complete, working order. I was merely making a report to Cyberlife.”

Joy is surprised. “Really? Just by closing your eyes?” Sehun nods. “Well, damn. Wish I could do that. It would save so much time.” She sighs, then squints, finding a lack of a certain Lieutenant. “Hey, where’s Jongin? He didn’t come in with you?”

“We had a run-in with a deviant earlier and he’s submitting evidence over to Captain Lee.” Sehun informs her. “He told me to wait here.”

“I see.” Joy mutters, her arms crossing over her chest. “Deviants are becoming more and more rampant. I just had to deal with my own situation. Some guy named Todd Williams came in earlier demanding to speak to someone because his android allegedly attacked him and ran off with his daughter.”

Sehun’s LED flickers as his software pulls up the police report. “An AX400 that goes by the name of Kara? The daughter, Alice, is nine years old…”

“How did you-?” Joy stops, and grins, “Right. Android.” She lets out a small laugh. “Anyway, we currently don’t have any leads on where the android could’ve taken the girl, but there’s a tip line. I’ll let you and Jongin know if anything comes up.” Sehun thanks the woman, who then takes her leave to finish up her duties.

A few more minutes pass, and there’s still no sign of Jongin. Sehun takes a moment to survey the station, just to keep himself preoccupied. At the sound of clinking metal, he turns his head to the far end of the bullpen.

It’s Carlos Ortiz’s android. Shackled and being escorted towards a holding cell. Sehun observes as the officer places his hand on the biometric scanner, the door to the cell sliding open for the android to enter the small room. The door locks shut behind him, and the officer walks away, having finished his task.

Sehun mulls over his choices. On one hand, Jongin had told him to stay put, and Sehun was under strict orders to follow the Lieutenant’s orders. However, Amanda’s words about Ortiz’s android being transferred to CyberLife, meant he would no longer have the chance to interrogate the other. And there was still questions Sehun needed answering.

Deciding that it was in favor of his mission to extract as much information as possible, Sehun gets up from his seat and makes his way towards the holding cell. Within seconds, he finds himself standing in front of the other android, a thick, glass wall separating the two of them.

The deviant is still wearing the same bloodied uniform, an unreadable expression on his face when he lifts his head to meet Sehun’s gaze.

When the android speaks, his voice is quiet, and broken. “They’re… gonna destroy me.”

Sehun LED flickers yellow. He feels… remorse? No, that’s impossible. He’s an android. He’s incapable of _feeling_ anything.

And yet, his next words could very will be mistaken for compassion. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend for this to happen. But there’s nothing I can do. CyberLife has made its decision.”

The deviant doesn’t react. But still, Sehun came over for a reason, and he needs to at least try. “I know there’s something you didn’t tell me. I need to know, before they take you away.” He remembers the words that the other android had uttered before he was removed from the interrogation room. “What you said yesterday… ‘The truth is inside.’ What does that mean?” He asks carefully.

The reply Sehun gets was one he wasn’t expecting.

“I’m going to die.”

Sehun’s brow creases. He tries to ask another question, but is met with the same retort. It seemed the android was no longer communicative, having been in a critical state for far too long. Sehun had no other choice but to call it quits. He swivels on his heel and begins the trek back to his desk.

He’s barely taken a couple steps when he hears a loud thudding sound, like something smacking against a hard object. He pauses when he hears the sound again, the source of the noise coming from behind.

Turning, he witnesses the deviant bending forward to crash his forehead against the glass wall harshly, smearing Blue Blood on the surface as the layer of artificial skin is destroyed.

Sehun spins around and rushes over to the cell. He places his hand on the biometric scanner, but unlike the one in the interrogation room, this one remains unresponsive to his touch. He tries again, but the screen only glows red, denying him entry.

“Stop! You’re going to destroy yourself!” Sehun pleads, but the deviant doesn’t seem to hear him, merely continues to bash his head against the wall another time.

Sehun looks around frantically, trying to find someone for help. He spots Jongin passing by the end of the hallway, and he yells out the Lieutenant’s name. “Jongin! The deviant is attempting to self-destruct!”

Jongin immediately backpedals at the sound of Sehun’s voice, and rushes over. His expression twists at the Blue Blood staining the glass, but quickly recomposes himself to unlock the cell.

The door slides open, and Sehun darts into the room, hand reaching out to grab the deviant, but as soon he makes contact, a grainy image of _something_ flashes through his mind. He lets go in response to the internal shock, focus returning to reality in time to see the other android fall backwards to the ground; motionless, its LED no longer glowing.

“Holy shit.” Jongin breathes out, eyes wide as he stares down at the android’s battered body. He’s been called out to investigate androids who’ve self-destructed, so he’s no stranger to it, but that doesn’t mean he’s anywhere used to it. Androids may not be humans, but it still shakes him to his core, knowing they no longer are functioning, the equivalent of ‘deceased.’

Jongin refocuses his attention to Sehun when he hears the other’s shaky breathing. The android appears rattled, orbs glued onto the destroyed deviant, the LED on Sehun’s forehead blinking a bright red. “Sehun.” He calls out, but receives no reply. Raising his voice a little louder, he tries again. “Sehun!” Sehun startles at the outburst, and turns stiffly to regard Jongin. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m…” Sehun stumbles, voice wavering, almost as if he’s on the verge of tears, the sound making Jongin’s eyebrows knit together in concern. “Fine. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” It’s a statement. Jongin hasn’t known Sehun for long, but he knows enough to tell that the other is definitely _not_ okay. “What’s wrong?”

“W-When I touched him…” Sehun starts, trailing off as he glances over at the deviant again. Jongin places a hand on Sehun’s cheek, gently rotating the android’s head so that they’re locking gazes again. “I connected to his memory.” He explains, “I felt him _die_. Like I was dying.” He lets out a shuddering breath. This. This is what Jongin must’ve felt on the roof, when he was so close to death. “I was… _scared_.”

Sehun begins shaking slightly, “I don’t understand. I-I’m not human. I shouldn’t _feel_ anything.”

Jongin can tell Sehun is overwhelmed. He wants to put the other at ease, but he doesn’t know what the android is going through; can’t relate to his predicament. So he relies on the only thing he does know. Providing comfort.

He cups Sehun’s shaking hand in his, rubs his thumb against the smooth skin. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. Breath.”

Sehun nods unsteadily, but does as he’s told. Jongin keeps his hold on him the entire time, whispering words of encouragement. When he’s in a calmer state of mind, Sehun’s LED returns to its normal blue.

“I saw something in his memories.” Sehun informs. “It was hazy. Most likely due to the severe damage to his central processing unit. But I could sort of make out an image. It looked like a map.”

“A map?”

“Yes. I saw him put it… into something. I couldn’t see what the object was, nor could I make out the writing on the map.” Sehun looks away, as if he’s disappointed he couldn’t gather more information.

Jongin squeezes his hand, “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.” He tilts his head, “I wanted to ask, how did you even end up here? I thought you were going to wait for me.”

“I’m sorry.” Sehun apologizes. “I wanted to question the deviant again before he was taken back to CyberLife. But he did not answer anything I asked. He kept saying he was going to die.”

”I see. It looks like he wanted to go out on his own terms.” Jongin lets out a heavy sigh, “I need to let the Cap know what happened so we can fill out a report and contact CyberLife.” He explains. The thing is, he _knows_ that he needs to do this, but he also doesn’t want to leave Sehun, and so he hesitates.

The android seems to notice this, because he smiles, assuring, “It’s alright. I’ll wait for you by your desk.”

Jongin returns the smile. “Yeah. We’ll go home afterwards. We both been through a lot today, we could use a break.” He lets go of Sehun, and exits the cell.

Sehun turns, and crouches down by the other android. Placing his hand on the deviant’s eyes, he slips them close, before pulling himself back up and taking his leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [links](https://sekaitbh.carrd.co/)


End file.
